Dreamscape
by Azurena
Summary: But what no one knew was that the girl had fallen in love with the Goblin King. Not even the girl . . .
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello everyone! Well, I want to start off by saying that this is my very first Labyrinth fic. I've never before ventured beyond the Inuyasha fandom, but this plot idea took hold of me and I simply had to get it out. Please be gentle with me :) I hope you all enjoy this first chapter!

**oooOoooOooo**

_Dreamscape_

Part One

**oooOoooOooo**

"I've finally figured it out."

Nearly choking, I clapped myself hard on the chest and abandoned my milkshake as I coughed. "What?" I asked through teary eyes. "What do you mean, you've figured it out?"

Maddie smiled, blue eyes gleaming, and propped her elbow on the table to rest her chin in her palm. The way she was looking at me was decidedly . . . unnerving, to say the least. It was times like these when I was sure my friend wasn't entirely human. "You know exactly what I mean," she said airily. "Think about it for a minute."

Brushing fingers through my hair in a mock show of unconcern, I shrugged slightly and took another sip from my shake. "I really don't know."

Her smile widened, and I repressed a sudden shiver. "_Sar-ah_," she sang, "has anyone ever told you how abysmal you are at lying?"

"Only you," I sighed dejectedly.

The grin was now definitely more of a smirk. "Then there's really no reason for all this denial, when you know I know you're lying. But . . ." Maddie leaned forward and plucked a fry off her plate. "I think I'll tell you what I've figured out anyway, just for the satisfaction," she said before tossing the fry into her mouth.

"I'm all ears," I mumbled while taking a fry from my own plate. "Lord only knows what you've come up with."

She cocked her head to the side, eerie smile still in place, and pushed her food away to rest her forearms on the table. A tense moment of silence passed, and I resisted the urge to fiddle anxiously with my shirt. Maddie was a wonderful friend―she loved magic and fairy tales and hated socks with sandals as much as I did―but sometimes she could be extremely creepy.

I was almost positive she did it on purpose.

"A boy."

I jerked so violently I nearly sent my milkshake crashing to the floor. "Excuse me?"

"A boy," she repeated, a sly smile still curving her lips. "You're in love."

My mouth fell open as I gaped at her. "I . . . I . . . Maddie!"

"Don't try to tell me otherwise," she stated sternly. "All the signs are there. For the past six months you've been quiet, withdrawn and, dare I say it . . ." Shimmering azure eyes danced with amusement as she twirled another fry between her fingers. "_Sulky._"

"I have not!" Distantly I knew I sounded like a whiny child, but didn't dwell on it long. What she was suggesting . . . "Besides, that's not much for you to go on. You make it seem like I'm more depressed than anything else."

"You want me to break it down?" she offered, brow arched in question. "Fine. One," she began, and held up a finger, "the faraway look. Sometimes I have to say your name over and over before you hear me."

"That's not―"

"_Two_," she continued with another upheld finger, "the sighing. You sound like your soul is being tormented. I have to say it gets old real fast."

"Mad―"

"Three," she cut in, "the smile. That was the clincher."

I gave her a bewildered look. "Smile?"

"Yep," she answered with that same damnable grin. "I can't explain it well, but it's a smile that practically screams to the world you're thinking of someone special. So," she added in a conspiratorial whisper, "who is it?"

I had no idea what to say.

I couldn't lie, because I knew Maddie would just keep hounding me until I caved. Maybe if I somehow . . . stretched the truth, she would finally leave it alone. For weeks she'd been on my case, convinced there was something wrong with me and, frankly, I was tired of it. It wasn't like I didn't want to tell her what had happened, but how was I supposed to? Maddie was open-minded, yes, but even she would have me thrown in the loony bin if I were to tell her about the Labyrinth.

_And Jareth_, my subconscious helpfully supplied. I felt myself flush.

"Ah-ha!" Maddie cried triumphantly, and I silently cursed. "I _knew _I was right!" She reached across the tabletop and clasped one of my hands tightly. "The blush says it all! Come on, who is it? Please tell me!_ Please!_"

I took a soothing breath and attempted to gather my thoughts. "Well . . ." I started slowly, "it's not a boy." _There, _I thought happily. _That's definitely not a lie._

Maddie, however, was much too smart for her own good. Confusion passed over her face for a split-second, and then the devious grin returned full-force. "Not a boy," she murmured. "Oh, _Sarah_, you bad girl!"

I blanched. "What?"

"Not a boy," she said again, "but a _man_."

More heat suffused my cheeks and, after quickly checking my wristwatch, I decided it was time to make my escape. "Sorry, Maddie, I've got to go. Karen wants me home soon," I explained while throwing on my coat and swinging my bag over my shoulder. "Talk to you later!"

"Wait, Sarah―"

"Bye!" I called as I bolted out of the diner onto the sidewalk. Veering left, I raced along the concrete, swerving carefully between pedestrians. Stores and houses passed in a blur, and I abruptly realized I had no definite destination. _I could go to the library, _I considered briefly. Karen wasn't expecting me until seven―another small stretched truth on my part―so that left me with over an hour to do whatever I liked. A little less frantic now, I let my pace slow and took a moment to peruse my surroundings.

I was a bit shocked to see how far I'd come. The entrance to the park at the center of town wasn't fifteen feet ahead of me, its heavy iron gates creaking to and fro in the cold wind. I snuggled further into my jacket as the icy air nipped at any exposed skin and scurried hastily through the gateway. I wasn't ready to go home yet, and the park was one of my favorite places to visit, even in the middle of December. I could go to the library tomorrow.

I ambled along the walk, my naked hands buried in my coat pockets as I relished the peaceful quiet of winter. Long tree limbs groaning with the weight of snow loomed overhead, and icicles dangling from the branches glittered like rainbow-hued diamonds when they caught the fading sunlight. The grass was blanketed with white, and here and there I could see tiny paths animals had made leading into the woods. I continued onward, my boots seeming unnaturally loud as I crunched through the frozen slush covering the cement until I reached the bridge arching over the solid, shining surface of the pond. My breath escaped in a pale cloud as I sighed. It was all undeniably lovely . . .

And I suddenly felt sick.

In a matter of seconds agony overwhelmed me. The world tilted as my knees buckled and I landed hard on my hip. Sharp pain lanced up my side, but it was nothing compared to the incredible burning inside my chest. I cried out involuntarily, startling a flock of birds, and vaguely wondered if I was having a heart attack. Each breath I took was borderline unbearable, and my palms stung where I'd scraped them against the sidewalk. Wet coldness began to seep through my clothes then, numbing my skin, and I knew I needed to get up or risk developing hypothermia. There was nothing for it, and my options were limited, so I hardened my resolve and planted my hands beneath me. Trembling from the cold, pain, and effort, I barely managed to push myself to sitting before my arms gave out and I slumped forward, spent.

The world still seemed to spin, and I braced the heel of my hand against my forehead as my vision swam. _What the hell is going on?!_ I thought in near panic. Thankfully the burning in my chest seemed to be receding slightly―it was now more of a throbbing―but the fact that I could hardly see sent my anxiety through the roof. Flinging damp hair away from my eyes, I blinked furiously, willing my sight to clear and―

I froze.

Everything suddenly came into focus, sending me reeling, and I viciously fought down the accompanying nausea that twisted my stomach. I closed my eyes and took a ragged breath, then another and another until I finally felt the queasiness pass. Once I was sure I wasn't in danger of fainting or losing my lunch, I cautiously peeled my eyes open and chanced a look up.

My heart leapt into my throat.

From the smooth wooden railing of the bridge, a beautiful owl stared back at me.

Only . . . it wasn't real.

The likeness flickered like a candle flame caught in the wind. But, hazy as it was, the intensity behind those dark, glimmering eyes was fierce. I waited, half-expecting some sort of . . . message or shower of glitter or . . . _something, _but it just sat, staring at me with eyes that gleamed with a too-intelligent light.

And then, in a wisp of smoke, the image vanished.

**oooOoooOooo**

"We're leaving, Sarah!"

"Okay!" I called from my room. "See you later!"

The thud of the front door slamming shut echoed up the stairs and I sighed. _Finally. _

Clambering from my bed, I leapt nimbly over Toby, who sat chewing on numerous teething rings in the floor, and plopped down in my vanity chair. I whipped the bath towel wrapped around my hair off and clumsily raked my fingers through the wet strands. "Okay," I murmured, "okay." I expelled a harsh lungful of air and gazed hard at my reflection in the mirror. "Hoggle, I need you."

As anticipated, there was no response.

I growled in frustration. "Come on Hoggle!" I tried again. "I really need you! Ludo! Sir Didymus! Please guys!"

My reflection remained alone.

"Ugh." I slouched against the back of my chair, frowning. I was irritated, but not surprised. I hadn't seen Hoggle, Ludo, or Sir Didymus in a little over four months.

"I hope you three are alright," I mumbled softly. I tried to tell myself they were just busy and didn't have time to visit. I knew they had lives outside of me, and it was unrealistic to expect them to show up every time I called. Nevertheless though, I still worried about them. When I left the Labyrinth I hadn't exactly been on good terms with its King. If something were to happen to my friends because of me, if they were in trouble . . . well, I had no way of knowing or helping.

With another sigh, I went to stand. "They're fine," I assured myself for the thousandth time. "They're fi―"

Searing cold shot through my left hand, and I jerked it to my chest with a pained cry. _What the heck?_ Glancing down, I gasped at the angry red burn decorating my knuckles. "Some kind of day I'm having," I muttered while scanning the top of my vanity. It was clean, save for a few sheets of drawing paper and the towel I'd used for my shower. "Must've happened while I was at the park," I concluded. There was nothing here that could've caused an ice burn.

Writing the experience off, I started to turn away to go find some aloe―ice burns _hurt_―when my eyes landed on the right-hand drawer of my vanity.

The handle was coated in frost.

And my besetting sin got the better of me yet again.

I glanced between the handle and the burn mark along my knuckles. Logically speaking, this was probably not the brightest idea. Drawer handles did not freeze of their own accord. Something, or _someone_, was obviously trying to get my attention, and it was working. Reason dictated that I leave well-enough alone and _do not _open the drawer. I hadn't even touched it since stuffing it full of things that reminded me of the Underground . . .

But my curiosity won out, as it usually did, so I set aside common sense, twisted my discarded towel around the handle, and yanked before I could lose my nerve.

"Sawah!"

I shrieked and went careening wildly to the floor. Toby began laughing hysterically and I shot him an exasperated look from where I lay sprawled. "Thank you for scaring the crap out of me, Toby."

His infectious, gurgling laughter continued and I smiled despite myself before heaving my body upwards. Ever since the little bugger had learned my name, he'd taken to screaming it as loud as he could whenever the urge struck him. Usually, though, he didn't startle me quite so badly.

Shaking my head, I shoved myself to my feet and ignored the way my limbs trembled. I was unbelievably on edge. My nerves were shot and my body was thrumming with adrenaline. So much had happened in such rapid succession that I was surprised to be handling it as well as I was, and I had to wonder what would be next. A rational, normal person would sweep Toby up and hightail it out of here before the carpet spontaneously combusted, but . . .

I'd never been normal, and I had to know what was going on.

Perhaps the Goblin King was only trying to mess with me. It wouldn't necessarily surprise me, and I definitely wouldn't put it past him, but I didn't really think that was it. It felt more like there was something . . . wrong, though I wasn't entirely sure why I felt that way.

However, I also had a feeling I might find some answers in the drawer, which was now spewing chilly, white mist into the room.

I slowly reclaimed my seat, my brows furrowed in confusion as the mist ghosted over my skin. _This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder, _I thought idly. Thanks to my time in the Underground, I didn't believe in coincidences anymore, and there had been too many today for my liking. _It's time to find out what all this craziness is about._

I swallowed my nervousness and took a cleansing breath. I could do this.

Using my towel to avoid further injury, I cautiously reached inside the enchanted drawer, searching with careful fingers. I couldn't see anything thanks to the fog so I had to rely solely on touch. After a few moments, I brushed something hard and metallic, felt soft fabric, and knew what it was before I even saw it.

My hand shook as I withdrew my music box and held it gently. Memories I had tried so hard to bury, to pass off as products of my overactive imagination, came rushing to the forefront of my mind in a riot of vibrant colors and hauntingly beautiful music. Dazzlingly-costumed people pressed in on all sides, sneering from behind monstrous masks as they taunted me and, in their midst, stood a stunningly exquisite man clad in sparkling dark blue who looked at me as though I were the most precious thing in his world . . .

Almost without thinking, I grasped the knob on the bottom of the box and wound it tight. The tiny figurine set atop it started to spin, its silvery white dress reflecting the low lamplight with every turn, and my heart leapt as an unexpected tinkling melody began to play.

_How you turned my world you precious thing . . ._

The box slipped from my hold and went clanging to the floor.

**oooOoooOooo**

An hour passed before I could bring myself to go back to my bedroom.

I sat on the couch in the living room staring blankly at the television. Toby was asleep upstairs and my dad and Karen were still gone. The house was eerily silent, save for the mindless droning coming from the TV as I flipped channels aimlessly in a vain attempt to drown my convoluted thoughts. A headache was beginning to pulse behind my eyes, either from the events of the day or the overly bright screen, and I eventually switched the TV off and threw the remote to the side. Six months. I'd seen not one Underground-related thing for _six months_―except for my friends during the occasional visit―and then all hell breaks loose out of seemingly nowhere. My temples throbbed and I could practically feel myself growing gray hair from stress. With a deep sigh, I left the sofa and headed into the kitchen for some Advil.

_What could this possibly be about?_ I wondered as I rounded the bar and made my way toward the cupboards beside the microwave.It was glaringly obvious that something was not right. I was fairly certain this entire spectacle didn't pertain to revenge, but then what did I know? The Goblin King was underhanded, clever, and definitely seemed to be the sore loser type. He could very well just be trying to torment me. "Is this all because I beat his dumb Labyrinth?" I muttered while rifling through the medicine cabinet. "I'm sure I'm not the only one who ever has. It shouldn't be such a big deal."

I was suddenly, irrationally irritated. Finding the Advil, I unscrewed the lid and took two dry before throwing the bottle back in the cabinet. Spinning on my heel, I strode across the hardwood to the staircase and hastened up the steps. If the Goblin King was holding a grudge, fine. I'd face whatever he threw at me head-on. If not, well . . . I was sure I'd discover what was rolling around in that head of his soon enough.

I crested the top of the stairs and wasted no time scurrying down the hall into my room. I closed the door securely behind me and turned the lock into place to be safe. I wasn't sure what else to expect, and I really didn't want Robert or Karen walking in on something I couldn't explain, like why my room presently looked like a sauna.

After perching once again in my chair, I wrapped my hand in my towel and continued my search. At first, I found nothing of real interest: old scripts, newspaper clippings, the small statue that startlingly resembled Hoggle. I didn't give up, however, and kept on until the entire surface of my vanity was covered in clutter.

Now I was nearing the bottom of the drawer, and I felt my excitement mounting. While I was still slightly aggravated, there was no denying how much the whimsy, fantasy-loving little girl inside of me was enjoying this. For two weeks after my return from the Labyrinth, I'd thoroughly convinced myself that I must have dreamt the entire thing. I'd been positive that the Underground and all its inhabitants and events were nothing more than products of my subconscious: the Labyrinth and its king? Taken right from the book itself. Ludo, Sir Didymus, Hoggle, and the other creatures of the Goblin Kingdom? Too strikingly similar to my many stuffed animals. The crystal ballroom? I blamed _that _one completely on my music box and my obsession with beautiful, otherworldly men.

Of course, my firm belief that it'd all been a dream was obliterated when Sir Didymus, astride Ambrosius, fell through my vanity mirror one morning before school going on about how he'd just been in the middle of a great battle with some dragon or another.

I was shocked, to say the least, and mildly disbelieving about the whole dragon bit. It seemed much more likely the small fox had narrowly escaped becoming said dragon's breakfast.

Shaking myself from my thoughts with a small smile, I refocused on the task at hand. My fingernails scraped the bottom as I probed around the drawer and I immediately latched onto the first thing I came across. I had a sneaking suspicion I knew what it would be and, as I held it up, I was not disappointed.

The golden lettering stitched into the reddish leather-like cover was exactly as I remembered. I let myself caress the soft binding with my free hand and was unsurprised when I found it to be suddenly room temperature. On a whim, I flipped the slim book open and scanned the worn pages. Lord only knew how many times I had read these words, had wished to be part of such a fantastic adventure. _I definitely got my wish_, I mused with an ironic chuckle. At the time, I couldn't have asked for anything more. But now . . . now . . .

Now I wished this fairytale could've had a different ending.

As I turned to the last chapter, I felt familiar guilt and regret beginning to eat at me again. My stomach churned, and I swallowed heavily. "There's nothing in here," I said softly while flicking through the thin pages. From what I could tell it was the same book it had always been, right down to the elegant font. I wasn't sure what to feel about that. Relief? Disappointment? Maybe a strange mix of both? With a deep sigh, I kept skipping through the pages on the off-chance there was anything I'd overlooked. _I don't know what I was expecting. The Goblin King is probably just screwing with my head―_

_. . . Wait a second._

Pausing in my search with fingers poised over the pages, I frowned.

Something was . . . off.

I shut the book and perused it critically. Outwardly, nothing had changed, but there was something I couldn't quite place that was different. It felt the same, it looked the same, but it wasn't the same. "What could it be?" I wondered as I weighed the novel in my grasp. If I hadn't known any better, I would've thought the book was . . . _heavier_.

I stopped dead. A sharp breath filled my lungs to bursting as, with now-trembling fingers, I peeled the cover back open and hastily turned to the last page of the last chapter.

Except it wasn't the last page. And it wasn't the last chapter.

_How did I not notice this earlier?_ I knew this book like the back of my hand. Surely something as obvious as an _extra chapter_ would've caught my attention?

My anxiety got the better of me, and I slammed the book shut. Tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, after I'd relaxed and had a good night's sleep, I would look at it again. I'd had more than enough excitement for one day. Abandoning my chair, I went to my bedside table and set the book atop it gently before moving to my dresser to find my pajamas. As I headed to the bathroom, PJs bundled under my arm, I passed the open drawer of my vanity― now back to normal ―and unthinkingly went to push it shut.

A loud clunking sound gave me a start. Puzzled, I drew the drawer back open and listened as something rolled to the front and bounced against the wood.

_Odd_, I thought. I was sure the drawer had been empty.

Per usual, my insatiable inquisitiveness overrode all other senses, and before my mind could catch up I'd reached into the drawer and plucked whatever lay inside from it.

And nearly dropped it like a hot coal.

Smoothness was the first thing I noted, followed by a refreshing cool sensation. It was lighter than I would've expected, given its size, and the multiple colors it reflected were exactly as I remembered. Images swirled in its depths, and I found my eyes unerringly drawn to the pictures slowly being formed.

_But if you turn it this way . . . _

**oooOoooOooo**

A/N: I'd just like to say that I have NEVER struggled so much while writing a chapter. Good lord. I didn't think I would ever finish. I am so glad to be done! XD And please excuse any grammar mistakes. I went over it as best I could but I'm sure I probably missed something :P Thank you for reading the beginning of my first Labyrinth fic! I'm not entirely happy with it but I hope you enjoyed it, and please leave me a review with your thoughts! Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter of my first Laby fic! *squeals* Also, I wanted to assure you guys that my Jareth is not going to just _forgive _Sarah when she "sees the light", so to speak, but he's not going to be evil or anything either. Just a heads up :D And I also want to apologize in advance for any weird spacing after italics. It tends to happen no matter what I do. Sorry!

Please enjoy!

**oooOoooOooo**

_Dreamscape_

Part Two

**oooOoooOooo**

"Sarah?"

I glanced up, my pen stilling on the paper, to see Maddie looking at me curiously from the couch. "Hm?"

It was Saturday afternoon, our designated girl time. Robert and Karen regularly took Toby out for play dates on Saturdays, so Maddie and I always took full advantage. Presently a marathon of old eighties music videos played on the television while I sat doodling at the coffee table and Maddie lounged on the sofa munching on popcorn. Her lips turned into a frown as she flicked salt off her fingers and set the popcorn bowl beside me on the table. "Who is that?"

My eyes flitted over to the TV and I laughed softly. "You don't know who Nikki Sixx is?"

"No, no," she huffed. I felt her lean over my shoulder as she pointed to the paper in front of me. "Who is _that?_"

Unthinkingly, I pulled the sketch away. I hadn't meant for her to see it. "No one," I murmured. "He's not anybody."

But I should've known she wouldn't give up so easily. "You sure?" she asked while trying to stretch over me to get a better look at my drawing. "Because he looks . . . awfully familiar."

"I'm sure," I nearly snapped. "I made him up. Motley Crue inspired me, I guess."

"Oh." Maddie almost sounded disappointed, though I couldn't imagine why. "Well, he still reminds me of someone . . ."

"Like David Bowie?" I suggested, grasping at straws. I didn't want to talk about this anymore. "He does sort of look like him, except for the hair."

For a moment there was no answer, and I took the opportunity to fold the doodle in half and slide it underneath my crossed legs. Maybe she would drop it―

"But why did you give him pointed ears?"

―or maybe not.

"Just wanted to," I said. "I like drawing Fae people."

Another short, strange silence passed before Maddie chuckled. "Fae?" she repeated. "You mean like Tinkerbell?"

"Mmm . . . not exactly," I replied. "Something a bit darker than Tinkerbell. More like . . . goblins."

"Goblins?"

I nodded and turned back to face the TV. "What can I say? I like goblins."

Maddie exhaled softly and I could almost see her scratching her head. "And that man you drew is a goblin? Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I always thought goblins were rather . . . unattractive."

"Ah, but he isn't any goblin." I cast Maddie a mischievous smile. "He's the Goblin King."

Popcorn went flying everywhere as Maddie's foot collided with the dish and sent it hurtling through the air. I shrieked and jumped up, pressing a hand to my thundering heart as I stared at my friend, who was returning my stare with one of open-mouthed shock. "Maddie?

A shadow passed over her face and, briefly, I was a little scared. "Oh my god," she whispered harshly. "You won't believe what I've just remembered."

For one fleeting, tremulous moment, my breath stilled in my chest as hope took root. Surely she couldn't mean what I thought she meant . . .

"The Masquerade!"

I blinked and my hope died. "Masquerade?"

"Yes!" She leapt from the couch to grip my hands in hers. "The dance we're having before we go on Christmas break!" Still grasping my hands, Maddie began to hop up and down in excitement. "Your goblin fellow just reminded me. We have _got _to go find dresses, like, _now._"

My heart dropped into my stomach. "But isn't that not for another week?"

"Five days, actually, if you don't count Friday," she corrected while tugging me impatiently towards the foyer. "Now let's go!"

"Wait, hold on a second!" I exclaimed while trying fruitlessly to free myself. _Good lord this girl is strong_. "I never said I was going!"

And I knew immediately I should've kept my mouth shut.

Maddie froze, and I nearly collided with her. Slowly, she turned her head to look at me, her gaze disbelieving. "I'm sorry," she said as she made a show of shaking her head, "but I thought I just heard _Sarah Williams_ say she wasn't going to a _Masquerade ball._" She clucked quietly to herself and continued on to the foyer with me in tow. "Must be hearing things," she muttered.

I felt my cheeks flush as she dragged me along. She knew me well; I had to give her that. "Maddie," I tried again, a little more firmly, "I really don't want to go. I'm not trying to be difficult or anything―"

She stopped once more and this time I did run into her. "Alright," she said as I stumbled back, "I'll make you a deal." With her free hand planted on her hip, Maddie regarded me with calculating azure eyes and her lips curled into that familiar infuriating grin. "Obviously something is up because the Sarah I know would never turn down an invitation to this kind of party." I started to sputter indignantly, but she just ignored me and went on. "So how about this: either you come with me to the Masquerade, or you tell me about the man that has you all tied up in knots. Your choice."

I scowled at her. "There's nothing to tell―"

"Then I guess you're coming to the dance with me," she interjected.

"No, I . . ." With a heavy sigh, I considered how to word my explanation. "I'm not interested in masked balls or anything anymore, okay? I've . . . outgrown them."

To my surprise, Maddie laughed. "Sarah, it sounds more like you're trying to convince yourself, not me. What in the world is really going on here?"

Damn it. Why did she have to be so . . . _observant?_ I heaved another sigh and glowered at the lines in the hardwood. How was I supposed to explain the way I felt to her? How was I supposed to explain _Jareth _to her? How was I supposed to explain a _magical _masked ball taking place inside a _magical _crystal and the resulting paranoia it caused to her?

How was I supposed to explain a book, one of my only remaining ties to the Labyrinth, disappearing into thin air and the all-consuming despair left in its wake?

In short: I really wasn't feeling up to the Masquerade.

"Wait a minute."

It was Maddie's tone that gave me pause. Cautiously, I glanced up. "What?"

Maddie, for once, seemed struck speechless, but only for a moment. "You . . ." She trailed off, and I was overcome with curiosity.

"I . . . what?" I asked again.

Suddenly, a wide smile broke across her face; one so blinding I nearly flinched. Unnerved, I couldn't help but wonder if my dear friend had the ability to read minds, because I was now under the distinct impression that I had somehow given myself away.

"This is about your man, isn't it?"

I jerked violently. "I beg your pardon?!"

Her smile, if possible, grew. "Oh my god, it totally _is!_"

I stared at her, wondering how on earth she could've guessed what was wrong. "How do you do that?"

The words escaped before I even thought about it, and I instantly wanted to take them back. Maddie's expression shifted, and she looked eerily like a particularly pleased bloodhound that had scented its prey. "Do what?" she asked innocently.

"Just . . . just _know _stuff, without me saying anything," I grudgingly admitted. "It's creepy."

All at once, Maddie's playful demeanor melted away. She dropped the hand I didn't realize she was still holding and eyed me with what seemed to be concern. "Sarah, do you . . . don't you know how much you've changed?"

This startled me. "Changed?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes. You . . . well, honestly, you're a lot different than you used to be. A lot less selfish, I guess."

My eyebrows shot into my hairline. "I am?" After my time in the Labyrinth, I'd tried to do better, _be _better, but I hadn't really thought I'd succeeded.

"You haven't noticed?" I shook my head, and she exhaled softly. "Weird. I thought you'd had some sort of epiphany or something."

I wasn't quite sure how to answer that. "Oh, well―"

_Everything that you wanted, I have done._

Warm breath ghosted across my ear, raising the hairs along my neck, and I jumped back in shock. My heart stuttered to a stop as I stumbled gracelessly into the wall. Thankfully, Maddie had turned away to grab her shoes and wasn't paying attention. "It was really like you just woke up one morning with an entirely new outlook on life. You practically wear your heart on your sleeve . . ."

_I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you._

My breath came in quiet, erratic gasps. _What the hell is happening?_

" . . . I mean, you know I love you anyway," she continued, oblivious to my sudden inner turmoil, "but I have to say I like this change. In fact, you're almost―"

_Isn't that―_

"Generous," I finished shakily.

Maddie refocused on me and arched a brow. "That's one way you could put it, yeah. But, thanks to whatever happened, your face is like an open book. It's not hard to guess what, or _who_, you're thinking of." Her slim fingers reclaimed their hold on my wrist and I abruptly found that I was anxious to get out of the house. "So about the dance . . ."

**oooOoooOooo**

_What in the seven hells was I thinking?_

I stood in my room, facing my vanity mirror and running a gentle hand along the silky bodice wrapped around my torso.

_Why did I let her talk me into this?_

Five days had passed since I'd agreed to go to the annual winter dance with Maddie, and as each day went by I'd regretted my decision more and more. The last thing I needed was further reminders of a night I would much rather forget, but it felt like fate was against me. And of all the dresses my overzealous best friend had wrangled me into, I'd somehow ended up with this one.

The actual dress shopping had been better than I'd expected. There was a store in town that, though small, had a beautiful selection. Lottie, the owner, was a sweet older woman who treated every customer as if they were her long-lost child and she'd been positively _thrilled_― a little too thrilled, in my opinion―to help me browse through the racks. In no time at all she'd filled my arms with a multitude of gowns and shooed me off to the fitting room, where Maddie was already waiting.

If I had known then what I knew now, I would've escaped when I had the chance.

"Oh my goodness!"

My stepmother's shrill cry yanked me from my thoughts. I looked to see her standing in the doorway with wide, glassy eyes and one hand closed over her mouth. _Oh no._

Karen breezed into the room in a flurry of designer clothes and Chanel perfume. "Sarah," she breathed once she was close, "you look _gorgeous_."

I flushed despite myself. "Um, thank you."

"This is an absolutely stunning dress," she gushed, and I was unexpectedly pleased. "Where on earth did you find it?"

Nervously fingering the slight beading of the bodice, I hesitated a moment before answering. Karen didn't like Lottie's place. Hell, she didn't like _Lottie_. Whenever we passed her store while we were in town, she'd grip Toby's chubby hand a little tighter and grumble quietly about weird gypsy women and their addiction to incense. I always just rolled my eyes and kept walking, but at the moment I really wasn't in the mood to hear her put down an innocent old lady for no reason. I was stressed enough as it was.

Luckily, Karen was usually easily distracted. "Oh, what are you going to do with your hair?" she asked while gesturing to my loose tresses. "Need some help? I'm pretty good with a curling iron"

I hastily nodded and damned the consequences as my stepmother hurried off to her bedroom. I was usually a brush-and-go sort of girl, but I figured I was in good hands if Karen's perfectly coiffed mane was anything to go by.

As I waited for her to return, I sank carefully into my vanity chair and smoothed out the chiffon skirt of my dress. The mirror gleamed as I moved, and I glanced up automatically, hopefully. There was nothing there, and I realized that the silver bracelet dangling from my wrist had only caught the light, but I was struck yet again, as I examined myself in the mirror, by the ironic picture I made.

_This color looked better on the Goblin King_, I mused listlessly, and a faint smile tipped my lips even as my chest contracted strangely. _But this is definitely a step up from that monstrosity he put me in. _I could actually walk in this dress at least.

"Ready?"

I almost flew out of my chair at Karen's voice and looked up. She was behind me, curling iron in hand and already plugged into the wall. "Uh, yes," I said with a blush. How long had she been standing there?

Karen didn't comment on my inattentiveness, but there was a knowing little smirk tugging at her mouth as she got to work. "So," she murmured as she pulled half my hair over my right shoulder, "do you have a date for tonight?"

I laughed quietly. "Does Maddie count?"

"Well, she is a pretty girl," Karen chuckled. "But, really, didn't anyone ask you?"

I frowned and thought over the past week. "Hmm . . . I don't think so."

Now it was my stepmother who frowned. "You don't think so? You can't remember?"

I could've kicked myself. "I mean, no. No one asked me."

The truth was I honestly _couldn't _remember. I didn't notice any of the boys at school, or anywhere else for that matter. They were all like faceless blurs and I hadn't really stopped to think about it before. I fought down a grimace. _What's wrong with me now?_

Warm curls fell across the back of my neck while Karen regarded me curiously. "Do you want to know what I think?"

_Not particularly. _"Sure."

"I think . . ." she said as she worked, ". . . that there's something you aren't telling me."

I went completely rigid. "Like what?" I choked out.

"Like," she began, "the fact that you have a boyfriend."

Searing heat burned the flesh behind my ear when I jerked in shock and I yelped. "_What?_" I hissed through my teeth.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." The curling iron clattered onto the vanity top. "Are you alright?" Karen fretted. "Do you need ice?"

"No," I ground out tersely. "No, I'm fine. But Karen, why would you think I have a boyfriend?"

Karen looked startled as she took up the curling iron once again. "You mean you don't?"

"_No,_" I insisted. "What gave you that idea?"

More heated tendrils of hair dropped against my skin as Karen pursed her lips. "Maybe you don't have a boyfriend . . ."

I heaved a sigh.

". . . but I know a woman in love when I see one."

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head. "E-Eh?!" I stuttered ineloquently.

"Don't pretend you don't know what I mean," Karen said with a laugh. "Just a few minutes ago when I came back I would've paid money to know what you were thinking. I've never seen you look like that before."

Still gawking at her, I blurted, "That doesn't mean I'm in love with him―"

I cut off abruptly, horrified. _Oh . . . my god . . ._

Karen looked like Christmas had come early. "_Him?_" she echoed excitedly.

I resisted the urge to beat my head on the wood of the vanity. _Sarah, you are an idiot, _I thought crossly, _a complete idiot. _

"So there is someone!" Karen exclaimed as she finished my hair. "Why haven't you mentioned anything about him?"

_Because he's the ruler of an Underground goblin kingdom and he probably wishes I were dead. _"Because I hardly even know him."

"But you obviously really like him," Karen persisted.

A thrill of irritation flashed through me, and I snapped before I could stop myself. "Just because he looks nice in blue doesn't mean I like him!"

Karen froze, and then smiled an absolutely _evil-_looking smile. "So he looks nice in blue does he?"

My nails cut into my palms as I tried to keep from throttling my stepmother with my bare hands. But, thankfully for Karen, the doorbell rang then and I was spared having to answer as she hastened off towards the stairs. "I'll be right back Sarah!" she called as she disappeared. "Don't go anywhere!"

I waited until I heard her in the foyer before bolting from my chair and down the hall to the bathroom. I turned the lock into place behind me and went straight to the medicine cabinet. Flicking it open, I rummaged impatiently for the Excedrin my father kept and quickly downed two dry before replacing the bottle. After a deep, cleansing breath, I clicked the cabinet shut.

And let loose a bloodcurdling scream.

My heels tangled into the hem of my dress and I collided roughly with the towel rack on the wall as I scrambled backwards. The bottoms of my shoes slipped on the tile, but I managed to catch myself clumsily on the sink before I fell. Chest heaving, I clenched my eyes closed and dared not look in the mirror again.

For the briefest moment, _his _eyes had been looking back at me.

_Sarah . . ._

My heart skipped painfully.

_Sarah . . ._

"Stop," I begged hoarsely. "Please stop."

_Look, Sarah. _

I bit my lip. "Why?" I whispered, and chose to ignore how crazy it was to talk to disembodied voices. "Why should I?"

_Look at what I'm offering you . . ._

Very slowly, I did.

Glittering silver hairpins rested on the ceramic surface of the sink, and I inhaled sharply. "How did you―"

Knocking sounded at the door and I almost fell again. "Sarah?" Karen asked through the wood. "Are you alright? Why were you screaming?"

I expelled a shaky breath. "I'm fine," I said loudly enough for her to hear. "I'll be out in a minute."

She hesitated a moment longer, and I silently willed her to leave me be. "If you're sure . . ."

Her footsteps faded away, and I turned my attention back to the sparkling pins sitting in front of me. They were incredible, delicate and unnaturally luminous, and studded with what seemed to be real diamonds.

What would happen if I touched them?

I was itching to try, even though common sense was telling me it was _not _a good idea. But, as I had during my encounter with the owl and the experience in my room, I had the distinct impression there was no foul play at work here. And, though I hated to admit it, they did match my dress perfectly. So, with that in mind, I reached out and caressed the tip of one jeweled pin with a feather-light brush of my fingers.

Nothing happened.

Elated, I decided to throw all caution to the wind and wear the hairpins to the dance. Distantly, I wondered, though it may not have been malicious, if perhaps something else was influencing me, but quickly banished the thought and chalked up my sudden excitement to wistfulness and adrenaline. Here was something else that tied me to the Labyrinth, which proved my journey had not been a dream, and I was overcome with profound relief.

Fleetingly, as I picked up the first pin, I lamented the loss of my Labyrinth book for the hundredth time. After a week of puzzling over it, I still couldn't understand what had happened. I'd woken Saturday morning feeling as if I'd never gone to sleep, but also determined to solve whatever was going on. I'd flipped on my bedside lamp, checked the time, and groped sleepily for where I'd left the book.

And it hadn't been there.

I hadn't thought much of it at first. I'd gone to sleep late that night so I'd assumed I had only put it somewhere else and forgotten. But when I'd come home from shopping that day and proceeded to look in all the places I might've left it, I had come up empty-handed.

My stomach turned as I remembered how desperate and sick I'd felt. Robert and Karen, who were understandably worried with how near-frantic I was, had tried to help when I'd spent the next week tearing the house apart in a frantic search, but to no avail. It was gone, and I didn't think whatever, or whoever, had taken it was going to give it back. Though it did make me wonder―

"Sarah!"

The yell startled me from my thoughts, and I recognized the tinkling voice almost instantly.

_Maddie._

My pulse shot through the roof and, illogically frightened, I fumbled for the hairpieces like they were heroin needles. "What?!" I screeched shrilly. "I'll be finished in a minute!"

There was a short pause. Then, "Do I need to come in?"

I grimaced and pinched the bridge of my nose. _Now isn't the time to sound hysterical_.I paused and tried to collect myself. "No thanks," I answered in a much more civil tone. "I'm almost done."

Quickly, I gathered my hair over the right side of my neck and slipped in the pieces one by one so that all my hair was pinned in place and one shoulder was left bare. Then, with a hasty cursory look in the mirror, I crossed to the door and pulled it open with a horribly fake smile pasted on my lips. "Sorry―"

Red leather was abruptly thrust into my face, and I reeled back. "What the hell is this?"

I blinked in bewilderment. "What the hell is your problem?" I retorted unthinkingly.

Maddie huffed. "Problem?" She backed up a step and waved whatever she held in front of my eyes. "_This _is my problem!"

I snatched the thing away from her and scowled. "Maddie, I don't know wha―"

I froze mid-sentence. In utter disbelief, I stared at the small red book in my hand and then looked back at her as I realized what she had found. "Where . . . where did you get this?"

She didn't answer at first. Her expression became concerned as she eyed me carefully. "Are you alright?" she asked instead. "You look kind of pale."

"I'm fine," I said shortly. "Where did you get this book?"

She frowned. "It was just sitting in your room. I don't see why it matters―"

I left her standing there as I went flying down the hall, my skirts billowing behind me as I raced into my bedroom. As expected, it was unchanged: lace curtains still hung from the windows, stuffed animals littered the bedcovers, and the curling iron still rested on the vanity top. Regardless of all this, however, I found myself scanning the room for the absolute _smallest _thing out of the ordinary. My chest heaved as my limbs trembled with adrenaline and I hoped―probably foolishly―for any Underground-related sign.

And, ironically enough, I got my wish.

It was so insignificant a thing I didn't notice it at first. It was only when I stepped further into the room that my gaze alighted on my bedside table and my breath hitched sharply. _It can't be . . ._

A feather.

Impossibly white and downy-looking, an owl's feather lay innocuously on the worn wood of the table.

It utterly confounded me. _What are you playing at, Goblin King?_

I debated briefly on my next course of action, but ultimately the decision was taken out of my hands when I heard Maddie walk in behind me. Moving almost inhumanly fast, I scooped the feather up gingerly and turned to my friend, who was watching me warily. My fist clenched of its own accord. For whatever reason, I didn't want her to see the feather.

I tried to smile, but when her frown deepened I knew I wasn't entirely successful. "Can you tell me exactly where you found this?" I asked while holding up my book.

"There," she muttered, pointing to the pillow on my bed. On her part, Maddie looked exceedingly uneasy, though I couldn't understand why. "What's the big deal about that stupid book, anyway?"

I recoiled as if she'd slapped me, the _Labyrinth _held protectively to my chest. "Stupid book?" I echoed. "Have you ever even read this?"

Maddie scowled at said book as if it had personally offended her. "I don't need to," she spat heatedly. "And I can't believe you would read such _aos si _nonsense!"

"_Aos si?_" My brows came together in confusion. "What're you talking about?"

"What am I talking about?" For a moment, I really thought Maddie might faint. Her eyes widened ridiculously and her face turned ashen. "Y-You . . . you don't know?"

"Know _what_?"

"You . . ." she whispered, but then color flooded her pallid skin and fury narrowed her eyes. "You don't even understand what you're dealing with?! Have you lost your _mind?_"

"Maddie―"

"The _aos si _Sarah!" she yelled, cutting me off. "_Aes sidhe! _The _daoine sith!_ They are not something to be trifled with! And for you to have a _book _about them is just . . . just . . ."

"But that's all it is!" I exclaimed. "It's just a book, Maddie, a children's storybook. You need to calm down."

She glared at me, the blue of her eyes blazing. "You don't understand," she said softly. "But not many people do these days."

"Stop telling me I don't understand," I hissed. "How can you expect me to understand what you're going on about when you haven't explained anything at all? _Aes sidhe? _I know enough to realize you're talking about the Fae, but what I don't know is why you're so upset." Turning from her, I slid open the drawer of my bedside table and slipped my book and the feather inside. "It doesn't matter right now anyway," I said as I glanced at the clock. "We have to leave if you still want to go to the dance."

She sighed and I could tell she was still aggravated. "Fine. I'll be in the car when you're ready." And she swept out of the room in a swirl of champagne silk.

I released a relieved breath and hurried over to my mirror to double-check myself. I ran a hand through my hair to loosen the curls a bit and then headed for the stairs, my mind whirling. Maddie and I would have to have a long talk after the Masquerade because, if there was one thing I _did _know, it was that there was more to my friend than met the eye. She had always struck me as strange, but this most recent incident had my curiosity raging.

It was time I found out what exactly she was hiding.

**oooOoooOooo**

A/N: Well, this didn't turn out quite like I planned but I hope you all still enjoyed it. I did my best but for some reason I still couldn't get it the exact way I wanted. The flow just felt off to me no matter what I did and I finally had to stop messing with it before I drove myself crazy.

Anyway, please let me know what you thought! I'm already working on the next chapter since I didn't end where I wanted with this one.

Next update: The Masquerade! Please review!


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